Lights out down under: Your photos from Australia's total solar eclipse

By

Updated 1300 GMT (2100 HKT) November 15, 2012

25 photos

Just like Pac-Man – This Pac-Man shaped image of the sun was taken by Chad Loel Rademan onboard a cruise ship in the Coral Sea about 550 miles northeast of Brisbane, Australia. "At 41 I was the baby on the ship but it was a great atmosphere, the upper deck was crammed with people and when the sun disappeared the sky looked a bit creepy but beautiful," he said.

Hide Caption

1 of 25

25 photos

X-rated – This unorthodox approach to eclipse watching was fashioned by Maj Coop from Brisbane, Australia. "The x-ray is of my mum's hand. She's been struggling with arthritis in her hand for a while and this x-ray has just been sitting in her car for a few months," she says. "I thought there shouldn't be any reason why this wouldn't work."

Hide Caption

2 of 25

25 photos

Goggle eyed – "To see the solar eclipse, I used some welding goggles," says Daniel Christiansen from Australia's Gold Coast. "I think the photo is kinda cool because it's this futuristic horror look ... and the sun's limited lighting is creating a unique darkness."

Hide Caption

3 of 25

25 photos

Good morning Darwin! – Sandra Otto took this photo from the side of the road in the northern suburbs of Darwin, Australia, after forgetting about the eclipse until it was about to happen. "I quickly got my camera and my bigger lens and jumped into my utility," she says. " I wish I was better prepared but found it to be a truly amazing experience, spectacular."

Hide Caption

4 of 25

25 photos

Hide Caption

5 of 25

25 photos

'An awe inspiring sight' – "You see the images on the news and in the papers but I think that by the time something has gone to print the impact is lost to a degree, it's different being 'present' for the eclipse. It's [awe-inspiring]," said Samantha J Hughes from Auckland, New Zealand.

Hide Caption

6 of 25

25 photos

Red sun of New Zealand – "The photograph I uploaded is approximately 17-18 minutes past the peak of the eclipse. The reason I chose that photo is because it shows a few Sun spots, and it's not just a solid block of reddish colour like those I took closer to the peak," says Goran Ristic from Auckland, New Zealand.

Hide Caption

7 of 25

25 photos

Glowing second chance – This was John Lindsay Stevenson's second eclipse. The 52-year-old postman from the small island of Bribie says: "My father took me to my first eclipse in 1976 when I was 16, but it was totally clouded out and we never saw it. It was a huge disappointment but it was enough to definitely want to experience another."

Yay Astronomy! – Katie Mack, a research scientist in astrophysics, was perfectly placed in Melbourne, Australia, to capture at least part of the eclipse in a quirky way: "I realized at some point that the eclipsed sun was the shape of a happy-face mouth, and I thought maybe I could capture that."

Hide Caption

10 of 25

25 photos

Roof with a view – Stephanie Wynne of Cairns captured this image of the eclipse at totality from the roof of her home in Cairns, northern Australia. "Unfortunately I didn't have my telescope, so I had to use my phone to take the pictures, but still an alright result," she says.

Hide Caption

11 of 25

25 photos

The view from Wellington – "I thought it would be cool to take a few photos because I haven't seen an eclipse in my lifetime, says iReporter Samuel Hill who shot this picture in Wellington, New Zealand. "Most people were really excited once they got to look through the solar lenses to see the eclipse."

Hide Caption

12 of 25

25 photos

Through the lens – Alistair Soon snapped this image as the eclipse passed over his home city of Brisbane early Wednesday morning. "It is amazing just with a solar filter, one could see that the moon is just right there in front of the sun," he says.

Hide Caption

13 of 25

25 photos

Study break – Staff and students used the campus at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, to hook up telescopes and camera equipment to capture the eclipse, says Kim Tairi. "We have a center for astrophysics and supercomputing here ... [so we] set up an area on campus [where] people could come past and get a look at the eclipse," she says.

Hide Caption

14 of 25

25 photos

Barking mad – Vanessa Hill of North Ryde, near Sydney, was taking no precautions during this morning's eclipse, adorning her dog with cool protective shades.

Hide Caption

15 of 25

25 photos

In Einstein's shadow – Tomoya Arai of Japan took this image of crowds at the Eclipse2012 festival in the north Queensland outback. As the eclipse began Arai, said he was reminded of Albert Einstein's words: "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious."

Hide Caption

16 of 25

25 photos

The eclipse chaser – This was the thirteenth time "professional eclipse chaser" Mike Smith has witnessed a total eclipse. The badges on his hat commemorate each of his previous experiences. "We viewed this one from Green Island, which is 25 kilometers off the coast of Cairns as we were warned it was going to be cloudy on land," he says. "The eclipse was as unique and beautiful as ever."

Hide Caption

17 of 25

25 photos

Do it yourself eclipse – Not all eclipse chasers adopted high-tech cameras and telescopes. Instagrammer, Rhea Hepburn, fashioned this eclipse viewer using cardboard boxes, paper and a mirror. "I really loved it. It didn't get as dark as I thought it would with the naked eye but the view worked great," she says.

Hide Caption

18 of 25

25 photos

The big show – David Freeman of Longreach in outback Queensland sent in this image of photographers prepping for the big moment. "Even if we didn't get totality the light was really interesting," he says. "Coming so close after sunrise we had the typical outback orange and red sunrise and then went into an almost surreal subdued light. Not the same colors as a normal sunrise but definitely not normal daylight either."

Hide Caption

19 of 25

25 photos

Solar shades – Instagrammer Tawnymc had style and concept covered with these chic glasses as she settled in to watch the eclipse from Buchanon Beach near Cairns. "(They) were amazing, we could see the moon move across the sun and we shared them around the beach - they were just $10 too," she says.

Hide Caption

20 of 25

25 photos

Auckland skygazing – Filipino nurse, Almira Tumpap, captured this picture outside the Stardome Planetarium in her adopted home of Auckland, New Zealand. "It was also nice to see both children and adults skygazing outside the Stardome Planetarium waiting for this spectacular display of awesomeness," she says. "It was such a special treat, a beautiful experience. The best things in life really are free."

Hide Caption

21 of 25

25 photos

Dark at dawn – iReporter David Brungger was one of many people to witness the eclipse at Palm Cove in the north of Queensland. "When everything finally went almost totally dark, some people were clapping, some people were cheering with joy, and we all took our eclipse glasses off to enjoy some of the most exciting and beautiful seconds of my life. Too bad it only lasted roughly one minute," he says.

Hide Caption

22 of 25

25 photos

Down by the beach – Airdrie Makim flew to Queensland all the way from Melbourne in order catch the best view of the solar eclipse. "It's been cloudy wet weather so we were really worried we wouldn't get to see it but the clouds cleared just before totality," she says. "It was just magical! We are so happy to have seen it."

Hide Caption

23 of 25

25 photos

Pandamonium – Sam George Allen took this photo of her partner James Jang at the Lota Foreshore in Brisbane, Australia. "A few people from the Redlands Astronomical Society were there with equipment, and about fourty others showed up throughout the eclipse -- lots of families -- to look through the telescopes and share around the viewing glasses. It was before school started so there were lots of kids running around, and one of the dads lent us the panda glasses! Pretty cute," said the a 22-year-old writer.

Hide Caption

24 of 25

25 photos

One last cloud – Karl Glazebrook, a Professor of Astronomy, took his family from Melbourne to Palm cove Beach in Queensland for an eclipse-themed holiday. "About 30 min before the totality I was in despair as most of the sky was cloudy. About T-10m it started to break up and a hole appeared and it looked like the sun was moving towards the hole. Two minutes before the eclipse the last cloud left the sun! You can see the cloud in this photo."

Hide Caption

25 of 25

Story highlights

A total solar eclipse was visible over Australia's Northern Territories on November 14

iReporters were on hand to capture this extraordinary astronomical moment

Onlookers gathered at vantage points on beaches, in boats and even hot air balloons

Tens of thousands of tourists, scientists and amateur astronomers gathered Wednesday along Australia's northern tip to witness a rare total solar eclipse.

For just two eerie minutes in the early hours of the morning local time, the country - known for its blistering sunshine - was plunged into a chilly darkness.

Onlookers gathered at vantage points on beaches, in boats and even hot air balloons to catch a glimpse of the celestial light show which, according to NASA, is unlikely to be seen again in the same region for another 360 years.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon, as it orbits Earth, passes directly in front of the sun, obscuring its rays and casting a shadow on Earth's surface. Sometimes referred to as a "happy accident of nature," a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon is perfectly aligned with both the sun and Earth, so it appears from our perspective that the sun is completely blocked.

Photos: Australian solar eclipse 11 photos

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Near totality is seen during the solar eclipse at Palm Cove on Wednesday, November 14, in Palm Cove. Thousands of eclipse-watchers gathered in part of North Queensland to enjoy the solar eclipse, the first in Australia in a decade.

Hide Caption

1 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Reserved seats overlook the ocean to watch the total solar eclipse on Tuesday in Cairns.

Hide Caption

2 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Jonathan Bradshaw and Terry Cuttle set up telescopic cameras and computer equipment on Palm Cove beach in preparation to run a live stream via NASA of the total solar eclipse in Cairns on Tuesday.

Hide Caption

3 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Totality is seen during the solar eclipse at Palm Cove on Wednesday.

Hide Caption

4 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Spectators line the beach to view the total solar eclipse on Wednesday in Palm Cove.

Hide Caption

5 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – The partial eclipse is obscured by clouds on Wednesday in Palm Cove.

Hide Caption

6 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – A spectator views the solar eclipse through special eclipse viewing glasses in Palm Cove on Wednesday.

Hide Caption

7 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – A spectator views the solar eclipse on Wednesday in Palm Cove.

Hide Caption

8 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Photographers prepare their equipment as they wait for the sun to appear from behind clouds during the solar eclipse on Wednesday in Palm Cove.

Hide Caption

9 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Near totality is seen during the solar eclipsein Palm Cove on Wednesday.

Hide Caption

10 of 11

Photos: Australian solar eclipse11 photos

Australian solar eclipse – Totality is seen during the solar eclipse at Vlassof Cay in Palm Cove on Wednesday.

Hide Caption

11 of 11

EXPAND GALLERY

iReporters were on hand to capture this extraordinary astronomical moment for CNN, sending in images from across the region -- from Australia, New Zealand and even from a cruise ship hundreds of miles off the Australian coast.

Maj Coop from Brisbane, Australia, sent in an unusual image of the eclipse -- as seen through an X-ray of her mother's hand.

"The neighbors probably thought I was a bit strange holding up this X-ray for a while, but after I while I realized it actually looked quite interesting - like my mother was reaching out to hold the sun in her hand," she said.

The eclipse was not entirely confined to Australia -- in Wellington, New Zealand, iReporter Sam Hill decided that, even though they would not see the eclipse in all its glory, it was still worth capturing.

"I thought it would be cool to take a few photos because I haven't seen an eclipse in my lifetime," he said.